The Federal Bureau of Prisons spokesman in Washington D.C. said the man, who remains on the loose, was part of a work camp outside the Federal Corrections Institution at Three Rivers.

THREE RIVERS - A minimum security prisoner walked away from a camp near Three Rivers about 8 a.m. Friday, running into the brush when a prison employee noticed him near the road, officials said.

As of 5:30 p.m. Jose Guadalupe Aguilar Jr, 28, a federal inmate, still was evading authorities after a full day on the run, said Maria Arviza, a spokeswoman for the Federal Correctional Institution at Three Rivers, part of the U.S. Department of Justice's Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Aguilar likely would have been free within four months; his projected release date is October 23.

"It's minimum security, the lowest security level, they don't have a fence around them." Arviza said. "He just walked off from the building. When (an employee) noticed him they tried to stop him but he ran off into the brush."

Aguilar, a Brownsville native, began serving a 9-month sentence for a supervised release violation in April. His original charge was for making a false statement in connection with firearms records, according to a statement from Arviza.

The U.S. Marshals, the Department of Public Safety and local law enforcement agencies were notified to help investigate and locate Aguilar. Anyone with information about his whereabouts should contact the U. S. Marshals at 578-4932 or the Three Rivers Federal Institution at 786-3576.

"He does not have a history of violence nor is he armed." Arviza said. "People should just call the institution or call 911 if they see him."